View source for Mackensen-class battlecruiser

{{Use shortened footnotes|date=October 2022}}
{{short description|Class of German battlecruisers}}
{{Featured article}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image   = File:Mackensen class battlecruisers scetch.svg
| Ship image size = 300px
| Ship caption = Line-drawing of the {{lang|de|Mackensen}} class
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = {{lang|de|Mackensen}}
| Builders =* [[Blohm & Voss]]
* [[Schichau-Werke]]
* [[Wilhelmshaven Imperial Shipyard]]
| Operators = {{Navy|German Empire}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Derfflinger|battlecruiser|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Ersatz Yorck|battlecruiser|4}}
| Built range =
| Total ships planned = 7
| Total ships completed = 0
| Total ships cancelled = 4
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship type = [[Battlecruiser]]
| Ship displacement =
* {{convert|31,000|t|LT|abbr=on|-1|lk=on}} (standard)
* {{convert|35,300|t|LT|abbr=on}} (full load)
| Ship length = {{convert|223|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|30.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft= {{convert|9.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 
*4 × geared [[steam turbine]]s
*4 × screw [[propeller]]s
| Ship power = 
*32 × boilers
*{{convert|90000|PS|shp|lk=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|8,000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn}}
| Ship complement =
*    46 officers
* 1,140 enlisted men
| Ship armament =
*  8 × 35&nbsp;cm (13.8&nbsp;inch) SK L/45 guns
* 14 × [[15 cm SK L/45|{{convert|15|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} SK L/45]]
*  8 × [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun|{{convert|8.8|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} SK L/45]] Flak guns
*  5 × 60&nbsp;cm [[torpedo tube]]s
| Ship armor =
* [[Belt armor|Main belt]]: {{cvt|100|–|300|mm|1}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{cvt|270|mm|1}}
* Deck: {{cvt|30|to|80|mm}}
* [[Conning tower]]: 300&nbsp;mm
}}
|}

The '''{{lang|de|Mackensen}} class''' was the last class of [[battlecruiser]]s to be built by Germany in [[World War I]]. The design initially called for seven ships, but three of them were redesigned as the {{sclass|Ersatz Yorck|battlecruiser|4}}. Of the four ships of the {{lang|de|Mackensen}} class, {{lang|de|Mackensen}}, {{lang|de|Graf Spee}}, and {{lang|de|Prinz Eitel Friedrich}} were launched, and {{lang|de|Fürst Bismarck}} was not—but none were completed, after wartime shipbuilding priorities were redirected towards [[U-boat]]s—and the ships were [[ship breaking|broken up]] in the early 1920s. The lead ship of the class was named for [[August von Mackensen]], a prominent military commander during the war. In response to the {{lang|de|Mackensen}}-class ships, the British [[Royal Navy]] laid down the {{sclass2|Admiral|battlecruiser|2}}s, all but one of which would eventually be cancelled; the sole survivor, {{HMS|Hood|51|6}}, was completed after the end of the war.

The design of the {{lang|de|Mackensen}}s was a much improved version of the previous {{sclass|Derfflinger|battlecruiser|4}}. The most significant improvement was a new, more powerful {{convert|35|cm|abbr=on}} gun, compared to the {{convert|30.5|cm|abbr=on|0}} gun of the earlier ships. The {{lang|de|Mackensen}}-class ships also featured more powerful engines that gave the ships a higher top speed and a significantly greater cruising range. The {{lang|de|Mackensen}} design provided the basis for the subsequent {{lang|de|Ersatz Yorck}} class, armed with {{convert|38|cm|abbr=on}} main-battery guns, after the [[Battle of Jutland]] in 1916 made the need for the larger guns clear.

== Design ==
The fourth and final [[German Naval Laws|Naval Law]], passed in 1912, governed the building program of the German navy during [[World War I]]. The [[German Imperial Naval Office|Imperial Naval Office]] ({{lang|de|Reichsmarineamt}}) decided the Navy should construct one battleship and one battlecruiser every year between 1913 and 1917, with an additional unit of both types in 1913 and 1916.{{sfn|Herwig|p=200}} Design work on the new class began in 1912, with construction intended to begin in the 1914 budget year. The question about the main battery for the new battlecruisers was the most pressing; the previous {{sclass|Derfflinger|battlecruiser|4}} was armed with {{convert|30.5|cm|adj=on|sp=us|0}} guns, though some consideration had been given to redesigning the last two ships—{{SMS|Lützow}} and {{SMS|Hindenburg||2}}—with {{convert|35|cm|abbr=on}} guns.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=30}}

The 35&nbsp;cm guns were heavier than the 30.5&nbsp;cm guns,{{sfn|Friedman|pp=132–133}} and there were problems with enlarging the new ships to accommodate the heavier armament. The Imperial [[dry dock]]s were deep enough only for ships with a draft of {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and simply accepting an increased [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] on the same hull as the {{lang|de|Derfflinger}} class would entail a reduction in speed. This meant that an increase in displacement would necessitate a longer and wider hull to keep any increases in draft minimal and avoid reducing the speed. The constraints on enlarging the hull were compounded by restrictions on width imposed by the locks of the canal in [[Wilhelmshaven]].{{sfn|Herwig|pp=201–202}} As a result, {{lang|de|[[Großadmiral]]}} (Grand Admiral) [[Alfred von Tirpitz]], the head of the RMA, prohibited a design displacement greater than {{convert|30,000|t|LT|sp=us|0|lk=on}}.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|pp=30–31}}

The initial design was approved on 30 September 1912, though the heads of the General Navy Department—{{lang|de|[[Vizeadmiral]]}} (Vice Admiral) [[Günther von Krosigk]] and {{lang|de|[[Konteradmiral]]}} (Rear Admiral) [[Reinhard Scheer]]—and the Weapons Department head, {{lang|de|Vizeadmiral}} [[Gerhard Gerdes]], had to submit any revisions they deemed were necessary. The design staff suggested using triple or even quadruple gun turrets to keep the displacement under the 30,000-ton limit. Another suggested alternative was to use six 38&nbsp;cm (15&nbsp;in) guns in twin turrets, one forward and two aft; Wilhelm II accepted that design on 2 May 1913, though {{lang|de|Admiral}} [[Friedrich von Ingenohl]], the commander in chief of the [[High Seas Fleet]], preferred the 30.5&nbsp;cm gun of the {{lang|de|Derfflinger}}-class ships.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=31}} As a compromise, the new battlecruisers were to be armed with eight 35&nbsp;cm (13.8&nbsp;inch) guns.{{sfn|Herwig|p=200}}

The question of whether the new ships should be powered entirely by oil-fired boilers was less controversial. The design staff was generally in agreement with the standard practice of using coal-fired boilers for two-thirds of the power plant, with the remainder being oil-fired boilers. Coal-fired boilers were preferred because the coal, stored in the sides of the ship, provided additional protection, particularly for the battlecruisers, which carried less armor than their [[battleship]] counterparts.{{sfn|Herwig|p=201}}{{efn|In comparison, the British [[Royal Navy]] transitioned to entirely oil-fired boilers with the contemporary {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|1}}s.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=34}}}} The finalized design was approved on 23 May 1914.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=31}}

=== General characteristics ===
[[File:SMS Derfflinger.PNG|thumb|{{SMS|Derfflinger}}—the {{lang|de|Mackensen}}-class ships would have strongly resembled this vessel]]

The {{lang|de|Mackensen}}-class ships were {{convert|223|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and had a beam of {{convert|30.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a draft of {{convert|9.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} forward and {{convert|8.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} aft. The ships were designed to displace {{convert|31,000|t|LT|abbr=on|0}} on a standard load, and up to {{convert|35,300|t|LT|abbr=on|0}} fully laden.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}} The {{lang|de|Mackensen}}s{{'}} hulls were composed of [[longitudinal framing|longitudinal steel frames]], over which the outer hull plates were [[rivet]]ed. This was the same type of construction as in the preceding {{lang|de|Derfflinger}}-class battlecruisers, and was intended to save weight compared to the traditional method of construction, which incorporated both longitudinal and transverse frames. The ships' hulls contained 18 [[watertight compartment]]s and a [[double bottom]] that ran for 92&nbsp;percent of the length of the hull.{{sfn|Gröner|p=57}} This was significantly greater than the older {{lang|de|Derfflinger}}-class ships, which had a double bottom for only 65&nbsp;percent of the length of the hull.{{sfn|Gröner|p=56}}

Experience with previous battlecruiser designs led to the adoption of a continuous upper deck, which raised the level of the deck aft. This was necessary because the aft decks of earlier designs were usually awash when steaming at high speed, even in calm seas. The ships were also equipped with a [[bulbous bow]] to reduce [[Drag (physics)|drag]] on the hull, the first time the feature was used in the German Navy.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=31}} The ships as designed required a crew of 46 officers and 1,140 enlisted sailors. Service as a squadron flagship would increase that number by an additional 14 officers and 62 sailors. The vessels carried a number of small boats, including two picket boats, one barge, two [[launch (boat)|launches]], two cutters, and three [[yawl]]s.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}}

=== Machinery ===
The ships of the {{lang|de|Mackensen}} class were equipped with four sets of marine-type [[steam turbine|turbine engines]], each of which drove a three-bladed [[screw propeller]] that was {{convert|4.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}} in diameter. The turbines mounted in {{lang|de|Fürst Bismarck}} were equipped with [[Hermann Föttinger|Föttinger]] fluid transmission, while those on the other three ships were two sets of direct-coupled turbines with geared transmissions. The ships had 24 coal-fired marine-type single ended boilers and eight oil-fired marine-type boilers. The power plants were designed to provide {{convert|90000|PS|shp|lk=on}} and 295&nbsp;[[revolutions per minute]]. Maximum speed was rated at {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}} The ships were equipped with a pair of rudders mounted side by side, as opposed to the tandem rudders used on the {{lang|de|Derfflinger}}-class ships.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=155}}

The ships' turbines were equipped with Föttinger gears, which significantly improved performance at cruising speeds and provided a corresponding increase in range of about 20&nbsp;percent.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=31}} The vessels were designed to store {{convert|800|t|LT|abbr=on}} of coal and {{convert|250|t|LT|abbr=on}} of oil in purpose-built storage spaces; the hull areas between the [[torpedo bulkhead]] and the outer wall of the ship were used to store additional fuel. Maximum fuel capacity was {{convert|4,000|t|LT|abbr=on}} of coal and {{convert|2,000|t|LT|abbr=on}} of oil. This was estimated to give a range of up to about {{convert|8,000|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|14|kn|abbr=on}}. Electrical power on the vessels was provided by eight diesel generators that put out 2,320&nbsp;kilowatts at 220&nbsp;[[volt]]s.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}}

=== Armament ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13388, Swinemünde, Flak-Kanonen der "Königsberg".jpg|thumb|upright|8.8 cm SK L/45 guns in high-angle mounts; {{lang|de|Mackensen}} would have carried this same type]]

The {{lang|de|Mackensen}}s were equipped with a main battery of eight new [[35 cm SK L/45|35&nbsp;cm SK L/45 guns]]{{efn|In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" ({{lang|de|Schnelladekanone}}) denotes that the gun is quick firing, while the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 [[Caliber (artillery)|caliber]], meaning that the gun barrel is 45 times as long as it is in diameter.{{sfn|Grießmer|p=177}}}} in four twin [[gun turret]]s. The turrets were mounted in [[superfiring]] pairs fore and aft of the main [[superstructure]]. The guns were placed in Drh LC/1914 mountings,{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=155}} which could elevate to 20&nbsp;degrees and depress to −5&nbsp;degrees. The guns were supplied with a total of 720 armor-piercing shells, or 90 per gun. The weapons were designed to fire 600&nbsp;kg (1,323&nbsp;lb) shells at a [[rate of fire]] of around 2.5 shots per minute. The shells were fired with a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|820|m/s|sp=us}}. As with other heavy German guns, these weapons used a fore [[propellant]] charge in a silk bag with a main charge in a brass case. These guns could hit targets out to a maximum distance of {{convert|23300|m|yd|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Friedman|p=133}}{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=140}}

The ships' [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] consisted of fourteen [[15&nbsp;cm SK L/45|15 cm (5.9&nbsp;in) SK L/45 quick-firing guns]] mounted in armored [[casemate]]s along the central superstructure. Each gun was supplied with 160 rounds, and had a maximum range of {{convert|13500|m|abbr=on}}, though this was later extended to {{convert|16800|m|abbr=on}}. The guns had a sustained rate of fire of 7 rounds per minute. The shells were 45.3&nbsp;kg (99.8&nbsp;lb), and were loaded with a 13.7&nbsp;kg (31.2&nbsp;lb) RPC/12 propellant charge in a brass cartridge. The guns fired at a muzzle velocity of 835&nbsp;meters per second (2,740&nbsp;ft/s). The guns were expected to fire around 1,400 shells before they needed to be replaced.{{sfn|Friedman|pp=143–144}}{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|pp=140, 155}}

The ships were also armed with eight [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun|8.8&nbsp;cm (3.45&nbsp;in) L/45 Flak guns]] in single pedestal mounts. Four were arranged around the rear superfiring main battery turret and the other four around the forward [[conning tower]]. The Flak guns were emplaced in MPL C/13 mountings, which allowed depression to −10&nbsp;degrees and elevation to 70&nbsp;degrees. These guns fired 9&nbsp;kg (19.8&nbsp;lb) shells, and had an effective ceiling of {{convert|9150|m|abbr=on}} at 70&nbsp;degrees.{{sfn|Friedman|p=147}}{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|pp=140, 155}}

As was standard for warships of the period, the {{lang|de|Mackensen}}s were equipped with submerged [[torpedo tube]]s. There were five {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} tubes: one in the bow, and two on each flank of the ship. The [[torpedo]]es were the H8 type, which were {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and carried a 210&nbsp;kg (463&nbsp;lb) [[Hexanite]] warhead. The torpedoes had a range of {{convert|8000|m|yd|abbr=on}} when set at a speed of {{convert|35|kn}}; at a reduced speed of {{convert|28|kn}}, the range increased significantly to {{convert|15000|m|yd|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Friedman|p=339}}{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=155}}

=== Armor ===
The {{lang|de|Mackensen}}-class ships were protected with [[Krupp]] [[Krupp cemented armour|cemented steel armor]], as was the standard for German warships of the period. Specific figures for the arrangement of the armor layout have not survived, but according to naval historian [[Erich Gröner]] "The outfit of Krupp armour was similar to that of the [preceding] {{lang|de|Derfflinger}} class".{{sfn|Gröner|p=57}} The figures listed here are those for the {{lang|de|Derfflinger}} class. They had an [[armor belt]] of {{convert|300|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thickness in the central [[armored citadel|citadel]] of the ship, where the most important parts of the vessel were located. This included the ammunition magazines and the machinery spaces. The belt was reduced in less critical areas, to {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}} forward and {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on}} aft. The belt tapered down to {{convert|30|mm|in|abbr=on}} at the [[Bow (ship)|bow]], though the [[stern]] was not protected by armor at all. A {{convert|45|mm|in|abbr=on}} torpedo bulkhead ran the length of the hull, several meters behind the main belt. The main armored deck ranged in thickness from 30&nbsp;mm in less important areas to {{convert|80|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the sections that covered the more critical areas of the ship.{{sfn|Gröner|p=56}}

The forward conning tower was protected with heavy armor: the sides were 300&nbsp;mm thick and the roof was {{convert|130|mm|in|abbr=on}}. The rear conning tower was less well armored; its sides were only {{convert|200|mm|in|abbr=on}}, and the roof was covered with {{convert|50|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} of armor plate. The main battery gun turrets were also heavily armored: the turret sides were {{convert|270|mm|in|abbr=on}} and the roofs were {{convert|110|mm|in|abbr=on}}. The 15&nbsp;cm guns had 150&nbsp;mm worth of armor plating in the casemates; the guns themselves had {{convert|70|mm|in|abbr=on}} shields to protect their crews from shell splinters.{{sfn|Gröner|p=56}}

== Construction and cancellation ==
[[File:Hamburg port NARA-68155073 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Unfinished battlecruiser {{lang|de|Prinz Eitel Friedrich}} (left) and {{sclass|Bayern|battleship|1}} {{SMS|Württemberg|1917|2}} in Hamburg after the war, in about 1920]]
 
Seven ships were originally planned in the class: {{lang|de|Mackensen}}, {{lang|de|Graf Spee}}, {{lang|de|Prinz Eitel Friedrich}}, "A"/{{lang|de|Ersatz Friedrich Carl}}, and three other vessels. The last three ships were redesigned as the {{sclass|Ersatz Yorck|battlecruiser|4}}, leaving four ships to be built to the {{lang|de|Mackensen}} design.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=58–59}}{{sfn|Staff|p=323}} The first two ships were ordered on 14 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. {{lang|de|Mackensen}} was funded through the 1914 budget, while funding for {{lang|de|Graf Spee}} came from the war budget.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=31}} {{lang|de|Mackensen}}—ordered under the provisional name {{lang|de|Ersatz Victoria Louise}},{{efn|name=provisional names}} as a replacement for the old [[protected cruiser]] {{SMS|Victoria Louise||2}}—was named after {{lang|de|[[Generalfeldmarschall]]}} (Field Marshal) [[August von Mackensen]]. The ship was laid down on 30 January 1915 at [[Blohm & Voss]] in [[Hamburg]], under construction number 240. She was launched on 21 April 1917; at the small launching ceremony, {{lang|de|[[Generaloberst]]}} (Colonel General) [[Josias von Heeringen]] gave the speech and the ship was christened by Mackensen's wife.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|pp=31–32}} Construction was halted about 15 months before she would have been completed.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}} The British mistakenly believed the ship to have been completed, and so they included the ship on the list of vessels to be interned at [[Scapa Flow]] instead of the fleet [[flagship]] {{SMS|Baden||2}}.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=32}} {{lang|de|Mackensen}} was stricken from the German navy, according to the terms of the [[Treaty of Versailles]], on 17 November 1919. She was sold for scrap and eventually broken up in 1922 at [[Kiel]]-Nordmole.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}}

{{lang|de|Graf Spee}} was named for Vice Admiral [[Maximilian von Spee]], the commander of the [[East Asia Squadron]]; he was killed when his squadron was annihilated at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] in 1914. {{lang|de|Graf Spee}} was laid down on 30 November 1915 in the [[Schichau-Werke|Schichau]] yards in [[Gdańsk|Danzig]] (now Gdańsk, [[Poland]]), under the provisional name {{lang|de|Ersatz Blücher}}, to replace the large [[armored cruiser]] {{SMS|Blücher||2}} that had been sunk at the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] in January 1915. She was launched on 15 September 1917. At the launching ceremony, {{lang|de|Großadmiral}} [[Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)|Prince Heinrich]] gave the speech and Spee's widow Margarete christened the ship.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=238}} Construction stopped about 12 months away from completion; {{lang|de|Graf Spee}} was the furthest along of all four ships when work was halted. She too was struck on 17 November 1919; on 28 October 1921 the unfinished hull was sold for 4.4&nbsp;million Marks and broken up in Kiel-Nordmole.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}}

{{lang|de|Prinz Eitel Friedrich}}, ordered as {{lang|de|Ersatz Freya}} (a replacement for {{SMS|Freya}}) was named for one of [[Kaiser Wilhelm II]]'s sons, [[Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia|Eitel Friedrich]]. She was laid down in 1915 at Blohm & Voss under construction number 241. She was 21 months away from completion when she was launched to clear the slip on 13 March 1920 and was broken up at Hamburg in 1921. At the launching ceremony, dockyard workers named the ship {{lang|de|Noske}}, after [[Ministry of the Reichswehr|''Reichswehr'' Minister]] [[Gustav Noske]].{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}} "A"/{{lang|de|Ersatz Friedrich Carl}}, which was to have been named {{lang|de|Fürst Bismarck}} for the famous German chancellor [[Otto von Bismarck]], and ordered as a replacement for {{SMS|Friedrich Carl||2}},{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=164}} was also laid down 1915 at the [[Wilhelmshaven Imperial Shipyard]] under construction number 25. She was about 26 months from completion when work ended. She was never launched; instead, the vessel was broken up on the slip in 1922.{{sfn|Gröner|p=58}}

Experience at the [[Battle of Jutland]] led the RMA to conclude that ships with 38&nbsp;cm guns, heavier armor, and a higher top speed were necessary. The {{lang|de|Mackensen}} design was used as the basis for the {{lang|de|Ersatz-Yorck}} class, which incorporated the larger guns and more armor for the main battery turrets and barbettes. More powerful engines were unavailable to compensate for the extra weight, so the designers were forced to accept a reduced speed. Nevertheless, like the {{lang|de|Mackensen}}s, the three ships ordered under the {{lang|de|Ersatz-Yorck}} design were never completed.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6|p=32}} In response, the British ordered the four {{sclass2|Admiral|battlecruiser|1}}s, though the British designed the class under the mistaken impression that the {{lang|de|Mackensen}} class would be armed with {{convert|38.6|cm|abbr=on}} guns and would be capable of {{convert|30|kn}}.{{sfn|Raven and Roberts|pp=61–62}} Three of the four Admiral-class ships were cancelled; only {{HMS|Hood|51|6}} was completed after the end of the war.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=41}}

The primary reason construction halted on the four ships was the shifting of construction materials and manpower from capital ships to [[U-boat]]s in the last two years of the war.{{sfn|Weir|p=178}} The RMA filed a report dated 1 February 1918 stating that capital ship construction had ground to a halt primarily for this reason.{{sfn|Weir|p=179}} Some thought was given to convert all four of the ships into dry grain carriers after the war, but the proposals ultimately came to nothing.{{sfn|Dodson|p=144}}

== Notes ==
{{Commons category|Mackensen class battlecruiser|''Mackensen'' class battlecruiser}}

===Footnotes===

{{notelist
| notes =

{{efn
| name = provisional names
| German warships were ordered under provisional names. For new additions to the fleet, they were given a single letter; for those ships intended to replace older or lost vessels, they were ordered as "{{lang|de|Ersatz}} (name of the ship to be replaced)".
}}

}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|20em}}

== References ==
* {{cite book
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  | first1 = N. J. M.
  | last2 = Sieche
  | first2 = Erwin
  | chapter = Germany
  | pages = 134–189
  | editor1-last = Gardiner
  | editor1-first = Robert
  | editor2-last = Gray
  | editor2-first = Randal
  | year = 1986
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921
  | publisher = Conway Maritime Press
  | location = London
  | isbn = 978-0-85177-245-5
  | name-list-style=amp
  | ref ={{sfnRef|Campbell & Sieche}}
  | url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_z3o0
  }}
* {{cite book
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  |first=Aidan
  | author-link = Aidan Dodson
  |chapter=After the Kaiser: The Imperial German Navy's Light Cruisers after 1918
  |editor1-last=Jordan
  |editor1-first=John
  |publisher=Conway
  |location=London
  |year=2017
  |title=Warship 2017
  |isbn=978-1-8448-6472-0
  |pages=140–159
  |ref={{sfnRef|Dodson}}
  }}
* {{cite book
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  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Grießmer
  | first = Axel
  | year = 1999
  | language = de
  | title = Die Linienschiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine: 1906–1918; Konstruktionen zwischen Rüstungskonkurrenz und Flottengesetz
  | trans-title = The Battleships of the Imperial Navy: 1906–1918; Constructions between Arms Competition and Fleet Laws
  | publisher = Bernard & Graefe Verlag
  | location = Bonn
  | isbn = 978-3-7637-5985-9
  | ref ={{sfnRef|Grießmer}}
  }}
* {{cite book
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  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Herwig
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  | year = 1998
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  }}
* {{cite book
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  | last3 = Steinmetz
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  | year = 1993
  | title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart
  | trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present
  | volume = 3
  | publisher = Mundus Verlag
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  | isbn = 3-7822-0211-2
  | language = de
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Hildebrand
  | first1 = Hans H.
  | last2 = Röhr
  | first2 = Albert
  | last3 = Steinmetz
  | first3 = Hans-Otto
  | year = 1993
  | title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart
  | trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present
  | volume = 6
  | publisher = Mundus Verlag
  | location = Ratingen
  | isbn = 3-7822-0237-6
  | language = de
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 6}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Raven
  |first=Alan
  |author2=Roberts, John
  |title=British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |location=Annapolis
  |year=1976
  |isbn=0-87021-817-4
  |ref={{sfnRef|Raven and Roberts}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Staff
  |first=Gary
  |year=2014
  |title=German Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and Operations
  |location=Barnsley
  |publisher=Seaforth Publishing
  |isbn=978-1-84832-213-4
  |ref={{sfnRef|Staff}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Weir
  | first = Gary
  | year = 1992
  | title = Building the Kaiser's Navy
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-1-55750-929-1
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Weir}}
  }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
  |last=Campbell
  |first=N. J. M.
  |title=Battle Cruisers
  |publisher=Conway Maritime Press
  | location=Greenwich
  |year=1978
  |series=Warship Special
  |volume=1
  |isbn=978-0-85177-130-4
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Dodson
  | first1 = Aidan
  | last2 = Cant
  | first2 = Serena
  | title = Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars
  | year = 2020
  | publisher = Seaforth Publishing
  | location = Barnsley
  | isbn = 978-1-5267-4198-1
  }}

{{Mackensen class battlecruiser}}
{{WWI German ships}}

[[Category:Battlecruiser classes]]
[[Category:Mackensen-class battlecruisers| ]]
[[Category:Proposed ships of Germany]]
[[Category:Cancelled ships]]